Who still uses a 1" 8 track or 2" 16/24 track?

[mixmkr 2023]

I keep (insanely) lusting for one in the home setup. I think I'm trying to recreate the past days of pure "wow" factor and "getting down to business". But compared to my current (killer) computer setup, it really doesn't make sense. I mean, my 1/2 track is still " in storage" with the pinch roller slowly rotting away.
But still....to have a 24 track and auto locater eat up valuable floor space....c'mon now!!

 

[schmee]

It would be very cool. I wonder about finding tape and cost of tape though?
I think I saw a studio mentioned that still does it...

 

[bottlenecker]

Yes, I still lust for a big tape machine. I don't think I'll do it. I think there was a short time when a few might've been given away that I missed. I intend to press an LP at some point, so I'd love to even mix down to a half track. I want to at least get a pro quality half track some day whether it makes sense or not.

 

[bottlenecker]

It would be very cool. I wonder about finding tape and cost of tape though?
I think I saw a studio mentioned that still does it...

Lots of studios still do it. Some of them shop here:

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Me, I just read Tape Op magazine and drool.

 

[tubeToaster]

Several studios here in Nashville are still using tape. Some of the bands won’t use anything else. I like digital myself and never having to buy tape. I do wish I could find a decently priced 1/4“ reel to reel machine to listen to some of my old projects from the ‘70s.

 

[mixmkr 2023]

Several studios here in Nashville are still using tape. Some of the bands won’t use anything else. I like digital myself and never having to buy tape. I do wish I could find a decently priced 1/4“ reel to reel machine to listen to some of my old projects from the ‘70s.

All my tapes have long fallen apart...just sitting upright in a closet...no massive temp or humidity changes. No...not going to bake them.

 

[Masmus]

I love the old Studer A80/800's but I would never buy one today even if it was serviced and cheap. They require regular maintenance and the cost of tape is prohibitive (4 to 5 reels minimum). If I'm paying for the studio then it's a DAW only. There is a Studer A800 right now for $6'999 on ebay and it's listed as untested as is. It would be fun to have but in reality it would just be art piece taking up real estate in my studio just like my 1906 Victrola.

 

[Esquire Jones]

The first real studio I recorded in (Fort Apache) had a lowly 1” eight track tape machine. I think they had one or maybe two compressors total. Bare bones.

The engineer made a great sounding recording with some basic equipment.

My strat directly into my JCM800 half stack. I never really needed anything more than that.

The long lost halcyon days of the 80’s.

 

[mixmkr 2023]

Yeah...if it wasn't for the maintenance....I'd strongly consider one... just because. Spinning reels and red record lights and stacks of meters....you don't get that with a DAW. But then there is rewind time, punching in, and probably a mixing desk to accommodate the multitrack...both for input and playback. Then there's the mixdown machine.
My friend uses the expression..."too cool for school"... kinda fits.... 'cept you DO need some 'learnin' on dem suckers, unless you have the payroll abilities to sub that out.

 

[codamedia]

If you have the time/money to keep them maintained and running they are worthwhile. They could be a worthwhile investment for a studio as an option, but not very practical for a home setup.

 

[Skully]

If you have the time/money to keep them maintained and running they are worthwhile. They could be a worthwhile investment for a studio as an option, but not very practical for a home setup.

I don't see how buying one would be worthwhile on any level -- insanely impractical and not a good investment. Why not go back to wax cylinders?

 

[matman14]

I'm very happy to be not using monster tape machines any more. My first job as a studio intern in the '80s, aside from making tea and running out for cigarettes, was helping with the constant cleaning, aligning and maintenance of the heads and transport etc.

I do not miss all that nonsense.

 

[Gaylord Amsterdam]

If I had the Money I would absolutely buy a couple of high quality 4 track machines, but since I found out Dire Straits Money For Nothin was recorded digital and all my favorite BJM albums, I don't feel bad as I did recording to digital.

 

[klasaine]

Even if money and space were no barrier, I would never go back to tape.

 

[LowCaster]

I don't see how buying one would be worthwhile on any level -- insanely impractical and not a good investment. Why not go back to wax cylinders?

You probably don’t need it, but today there is a niche market for all-analog recording. Vinyls, and I mean NEW vinyls, are back in the stores. And some vinyl enthusiasts want the real deal, from analog recording to the LP.

An old friend, Jerome Sabbagh, is a saxophonist and composer, and he is selling vinyls, along with cd’s and downloads. I understand sometimes they manage to record simultaneously on tape and digitally. They are even selling R2R tapes…Obviously this is more of an artistic project than a plan to take over the music industry. It appeals to fans, audiophiles, collectors, hipsters maybe, and I’m one of them.

 

[Chud]

I can't even get myself to pick up a cassette 4 track in decent enough condition to transfer all of my 90's-00's multitracks that are falling off the tapes as we speak. It'd be neat to watch the reels go round for a bit, but after a few rewinds and auto-locates, I'd be right back at the DAW.

 

[Joefish]

... before there was Pro Tools, there were Pros

 

[Geo]

A friend's studio in Nashville has 24 track tape and 32 track digital. I'll ask on how much usage the 24 gets.

 

[24 track]

Right now I have a revox PR99 1/4" mastering machine, (I sold 2 studer A880"s about 2 years ago 1/2"mastering units) , I picked up a Yamaha 4track porta studio, a fostex 8 track R2R in a bundle deal .
with a 24 in 8 out tascam mixer ( C/W Meter bridge) and a sony dat machine , 2 crown power base 2 power amps , alesis quadraverb G3, Art SGX2000, an ART SDE delay unit and a CAD com-2 stereo compressor and a tower rack to put everything in from a private home studio dumping their goodies, for cheap ( real cheap)

this is aside from the goofy amount of gear i already have , so I put most of this in storage .

I cut my teeth on tape and really enjoy using it , you can do things with tape that you cant do digitally , so I view it as another tool in the box not a retrograde apperation

 

[soul-o]

About 10 years ago, I owned an MCI 1” 8 track that I absolutely loved for cutting basics- the bass bump you get at 15ips is a wonderful thing for a dude with a Hofner and flatwounds such as myself. A local studio was kind enough to let me park it there for a few years. Thing is, I’m a musician, singer and songwriter and never developed the engineer skills to calibrate and align that beast. It always seemed to fall into some state of disrepair whenever it sat unused for a few months. That said, there is absolutely still some magic to be had for those of us who came up tracking to tape.